Alternative holidays in volcanic Methana
It is not the first choice for holidays nor the second but I believe it is worth taking a look here to see what it has in store for us. Many of us know it from our grandparents who used to get there for thermal baths like my grandmother who used to say "I will go to Methena for baths".
Methana. The thermal spring of sulfurous waters at the harbour
Why choose Methana
I found four reasons why it's worth putting it in your schedule:
- it is a fairly cheap destination the prices for stay and to eat are better than others
- it is peaceful like a forgotten village I went on August 15th and the peacefulness surprised me
- you don't need a car everything is within walking distance
- see the great lava flow that the ancient traveller Pausanias records and I give this as a reason because it is the nearest we have to a volcano in mainland Greece, if you want to see something better you have to go to an island
At the harbour. Floor paved with volcanic stone
Below is a list of the hotels I recommend you to stay at:
- (€) Avra Hotel (⭐ 8.4) one of the best choices for stay in Methana. It offers spotlessly clean rooms with sea view at absolutely reasonable prices!
- (€) Methaneion (⭐ 8.1) hotel with tavern with sea view in a central location at the port
The reason I visited it is my curiosity about volcanoes as I have been to all the rest of the Aegean volcanic arc: Milos, Santorini and Nisyros islands and I find it a fascinating idea to visit the one next to us.
Read more: How to get to Poros - Galatas - Methana by road
From Methana to the peninsula's hinterland
The picturesque harbour with the milky sea compose a landscape of eerie beauty but this beautiful picture is missing the closed and neglected thermal baths that once gave life to Methana. The sulfur smells strongly and gives you the idea that you just arrived to a volcanic place.
Methana village has the sea on one side and the towering lava-red mountains on the other a place so wild that I understood why a common profession is captain. The volcano endowed it with fertile soil but even farming is difficult on these steep slopes.
Travelling around the peninsula requires patience because the roads are narrow with many bends and in some places in poor condition. The landscape is pine-covered and so peaceful that the visitor does not understand that it was shaped by volcanic eruptions.
The sulfur spring. On the left, what looks like a swimming pool are the well-known thermal baths of Methana which are now closed.
Two picturesque settlements are Vathi and Agios Georgios that are worth visiting for the taverns. I didn't go there however, I only saw Vathi from the road and it was very nice like a Cycladic island, from what I managed to see it has taverns in a small harbour. I didn't go not because I didn't like them but because they weren't in my plans.
What to do
The choices are limited so I'll tell you what I did:
- food and coffee at the harbour
- swim in Limnionas and Agioi Anargyri
- visit the volcano of Kameni Chora to see the large lava flow of the 3rd century BC
The 2,300-year-old volcano in Kameni Chora
The activity I recommend to get to know the volcano better is to tour the peninsula by eBike.
It is a destination for 2-3 days at most. It is indicative of how peaceful is that I went on August 15th and it was quiet.
The best beaches
Limnionas the best beach a wonderful sandy beach in a forest although with the umbrellas it is worse than it once was. The road leading there is narrow and it is a good idea to park your vehicle earlier.
Agioi Anargyroi at the entrance of Methana, a very nice sandy beach with a canteen, umbrellas and free space.
Beaches in Methana village and before Limnionas there is a series of narrow beaches.
Thermal baths
At the entrance of Methana is the well-known spring of sulphurous waters with the milky colour. Although the baths have unfortunately been closed in recent years, anyone who wants can bathe in the sea through a makeshift construction.
North of Methana at the church Agios Nikolaos are the sodium chloride baths.
The Baths of Pausanias in Agios Nikolaos in the north of the peninsula. They are named after the ancient traveller as he states that they began to gush after the eruption of 270 BC
Hotel "Ai Pigai" provides thermal baths from a spring.
Where to eat
- B & B for affordable food such as club sandwiches, burgers, ice cream, crepes, waffles, drinks, breakfast
- To Kapileio a small tavern that does not look like a tourist spot, for seasonal dishes and cooked dishes. Prefer it for homemade and hearty food
- Paliokastalisi at the harbour by the sea, homemade food and sweets. The specialty is pontian pisia with feta cheese. It also serves breakfast
The volano
It consists of 32 volcanoes but in reality there is only one volcano from which over millions of years the lava has been coming out from different points. More correctly it is a volcano with 32 craters.
Be sure to visit the Kameni Chora volcano to see the impressive lava flow of 270 BC described by the ancient traveller Pausanias. Access is through a path and for sure it will impress you!
The great lava flow of the 3rd century BC that ends in the Saronic Gulf
The peninsula was made up of islets that were joined together by lava millions of years ago. Below I have created a map with all the volcanoes according to the methana.de website.
It is the only volcano that has maintained its original height without collapsing. It did not have strong eruptions like on Milos, Santorini and Nisyros but gentle lava flows, which is why the variety of rocks and formations is poor. It is characteristic that it does not have sculpted formations but only hard stones.
They look like mountain peaks but are actually volcanoes that were active hundreds of thousands or millions of years ago
It is considered an active volcano because an eruption occurred in historical times so it is expected to be activated again at some point in the future!
